It’s a very important thing to learn to talk to people you disagree with – Pete Seeger This is really the paradox of our industry. We’re struggling to find staff, yet in countless kitchens out there, chefs are dropping like flies
Who’s for you?
I was at an amazing personal development seminar recently where the coach asked us: “Who’s for you”? He made us list all the people in our lives that were 100% behind us and what matters to us. Now, this exercise
Listen
In teamwork, silence isn’t golden. It’s deadly – Mark Sanborn Can we all make sure we do this on our teams, chefs? Can we make sure we let people be who they are, express themselves authentically, say what needs to
Work and identity
Just like you and your kitchen, Love Letters to Chefs is completely taking over my life and I’m loving it. It’s fulfilling me in a way that no other work has, and I’ve all too easily given up wanting to do
You feed others
A fellow passenger on the freezing bus journey this morning was wholeheartedly enjoying his breakfast, making sounds of contentment, of real appreciation. I could feel from his energy that he was nourished. All this from a simple bacon butty and a cup of coffee.
Kinship
For all the drama in our kitchens, there’s an amazing sense of family, of kinship that exists amongst chefs working on the same team. You don’t feel alone in all those hours you spend at work. Wouldn’t you agree, chef? But
What do you stand for?
If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything – Malcolm X That’s an important question because we can get so caught up in our work that we lose sight of what matters to us. What do you stand for, chef?
Appreciating female chefs
Does that look like a picture of equality to you? Women have been fighting for their place alongside men all through history, but can there really be equality when they’ve travelled a longer distance to get there? Because life can’t
Patience
Maybe it’s the pace of the kitchen or our constant chase for perfection, but do you struggle with patience, chef? Patience with yourself or with others and their abilities? Chefs often struggle to disengage from their kitchen personas outside of work. More often than not,
Your unique journey
In an age where everyone shares so much about their lives, we don’t always appreciate is how unique our journey is. Our natural impulse is to compare ourselves with where others are or what they have. But we’ve got to appreciate